Bra Essentials and You!

While watching this one episode, dedicated to women on "The Doctors," Cara, from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, expressed that she doesn’t like wearing bras, but is concerned going braless will lead to sagging breasts.

Breasts are held up by ligaments, which attach them to muscles. Over time, the ligaments will weaken and cause sagging. With the correct support, however, women can prevent sagging from occuring earlier.

“You need to wear bras,” Dr. Funk says. “Your breasts don’t have muscles in them; they can’t just defy gravity all by themselves. If you let gravity take its toll long enough, your nipples, instead of pointing ahead, will be looking south.”

Picking out the correct bra is essential. Dr. Funk suggests wearing a brassiere with an underwire to help with support. “I think some women have an issue, thinking underwires cause breast cancer,” she says. “Do they? Do they not? It is a little bit of a debate, but all of the data points to no. So if you’re more comfortable wearing the underwire, go for it.”

While they help your breasts look perkier, push-up bras can actually cause problems when worn too often. “It’s not that they’re unhealthy in terms of cancer-causing or any problems like that,” Dr. Funk says, “except for the sagging issues. Push-up bras sort of, like, let my breasts enter the room first, which is fine and a good thing if you’re trying to be sexy, but every day for the rest of your life you’re going to have to wear the push-up bra, otherwise your nose will be entering the room first. What goes up must come down.”

Workout bras are essential, as well, Dr. Funk explains, because they keep the ligaments from stretching as the breasts bounce. Make sure the elastic material is not worn out, because if it is, the bra is no longer doing its job. “This is most important of all,” Dr. Funk says. “Of all your bras, check your workout bras. You want a workout bra that’s comfortable, and you don’t even need that much lift. You just need [the bra to push the breasts] back.”

Be sure to get properly measured for a bra to get the ideal support for you! 80% of women wear the wrong bra size! It is not hard to measure yourself for a bra! Here is a youtube video to help explain how:



Then there is my 6 month bra challenge! LOL! Buy two identical styles / size bras. Put one away in the back of the drawer and wear the other as you would normally wear. After 6 months, take out the new one and compare it to the older one. Chances are, you will notice a big difference in shape. Once a bra is stretched out and such, they are no longer doing their job! Replace bras every 6 months to keep your "friends" as good as they can be!